I of Summer
by R. J. Niner
Summary: Len, Kaito, Gakupo, and Kiyoteru are working at the beach when they meet four girls there. As the summer goes on and the boys each get more and more attracted to them, will they find love and discover who they really are? Or will their pasts prevent them from moving on into the future?
1. Chapter 1

It was summertime at the ocean. People were strolling up and down the pristine white beaches with the occasional couple walking hand in hand on the wet sand. Everyone always enjoyed coming to the beach, the stream of visitors and tourists always endless. For Len, however, the beach wasn't a place to have fun. No. He was there to work.

He glanced out the window of the café again that was on his left. He could still see the people in their swimsuits and bikinis walking across the sand. He wished he was out there, but he really needed some money, a desire that outmatched his desire to go have fun.

"One latte please!" a young woman called out, waving at Len from her seat. Len sighed and turned under to make the order. He was surprisingly good with making drinks. It saved him from doing real labor work. He adjusted his bowtie as the coffee came out from the machine. In his striped collared shirt and black vest and pants, he really looked like a professional waiter. He wondered if anyone knew how much he was dying to get out of those uncomfortable clothes.

"Hey, Len, get me something to drink too."

"No," Len immediately shot back without glancing in the speaker's direction. He took the latte to the woman, put the cost on her bill, and retreated back behind the counter. He glared at the blue haired teenager who was leaning casually on the counter and said, "You work here. I'm not making anything for you unless you pay up."

Kaito stuck his tongue out at Len. He muttered, "You're such a cheeky brat."

Before Len could shoot some retort at him, Kaito had already disappeared back through the doors that led to the storage. Kaito was strong despite his skinny figure. He'd gotten the job of moving around boxes and packages, ingredients and the like for the store. Not that Len envied him of course. He might've died doing labor work, though he would've liked to dress casually.

"Len, earth to Len," someone said, waving a hand right in front of Len's face. He jumped back startled. Kiyoteru was giving him a solemn look from behind his red glasses, his brown bangs hanging low over his eyes as usual. He said, "You really shouldn't be daydreaming when you're on a job."

"Shut up," Len replied with a sigh. He asked, "Did something happen?"

"No, not really. I'm just taking a break," Kiyoteru replied, handing Len a five-dollar bill. "One iced coffee to go please."

"Well, at least you pay," Len sighed again, taking the money to the cash register and giving Kiyoteru his change. As Kiyoteru sat down on a stool at the counter, Len asked, "So how's work going on your side?"

"Okay," Kiyoteru replied. "The owner lets us get free ice cream. Gakupo tried to take advantage of that, so I told him he could only get two scoops a day. It's not right to leech off of your employer's stock."

"You do realize Gakupo might be stealing ice cream this very minute, right?" Len asked, grinning as he handed Kiyoteru his drink.

"Yeah," Kiyoteru sighed though he was smiling. "But I trust him not to take too much. It's a good thing Kaito agreed to this job here first, isn't it?"

The two friends broke into laughter. Just the thought of Kaito working at the ice cream parlor was enough to laugh at. Len could already imagine Kaito eating all the ice cream until there wasn't even any left for the customers.

"Well, I'll be heading back now. See you later," Kiyoteru said, sticking a straw in the coffee. Drink in hand, he got off the chair and headed towards the door. Len waved as Kiyoteru left the café, but his hand froze in midair when Kiyoteru nearly bumped into a girl with short blonde hair. A person who was way too familiar.

Len tried to duck under the counter but it was too late. The girl stormed over and slid onto the counter, poking her head out on the other side as she smirked, "Found ya, little brother."

"Rin," Len muttered, exasperated. He got back up. The customers were staring at Rin like she was crazy. Maybe she was. He remarked, "You do realize that what you just did was really strange and crazy I hope."

"What'd I do? Is there something wrong with saying hi to your long lost brother?" Rin asked, grinning. "Since it's my lucky day, get me a slushie, will ya? Orange flavored."

"And if I say no? Or maybe we don't have orange slushies," Len said with a hint of annoyance.

"Make it anyways," Rin said bluntly, adjusting the big bow tie on her head. Len sighed and turned to make the drink. He cast a glance back at his twin. She'd really changed since the last time he'd seen her. She was definitely taller, maybe reaching his eyebrows. Her sense of fashion had changed too, though she still wore that absurdly big bow. He remembered how when they were kids, Rin was always wearing pretty little dresses with flower and princess themes. Now, she was in a tank top and an unbuttoned flannel, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her shorts were maybe a bit too short, but Len decided not to judge her. He wasn't one to talk about fashion.

"So, how's life been?" Rin asked as Len handed her the drink.

"Not bad. Anything going on back home?" Len asked casually, leaning against the counter.

Rin sighed. She said, "It was really hard finding you, you know. I only found you here today because I got a tip from a friend of mine. Are you going to come back home some day? Mom and Dad are pretty worried."

"Yeah, I bet they're really worried. You really think they want me to go back?" Len said, rolling his eyes. "Still, I guess it's nice seeing you again. How long has it been? Three months?"

"About right," Rin replied, trying her slushie. She blinked and said, "Wow, Len. I never knew you could make stuff like this."

"You're welcome," Len sighed. He went and took another order before going back to talk to Rin. He asked, "So, you have a place to stay?"

"Yeah. The hotel down the street. I came here with a friend of mine. You've met her before, right?"

Len raised his eyebrows at Rin. He said in a bored voice, "You seriously want me to remember every single friend you have?"

Rin stuck out her tongue. She said, "I'm talking about Luka. You guys met at the school dance last year, remember?"

"Oh," Len muttered. He hoped she meant that teal haired girl with those absurdly long pigtails that he'd seen with Rin once. He did vaguely remember meeting someone named Luka, but an image just couldn't come to mind. "How's she doing?"

"Fine. Come and visit us some time. You can't be working everyday, right?" Rin asked, playing with her straw as she watched the contents inside her cup swirl around and around.

"I guess not," Len replied in defeat. He would've liked to escape from his sister for a little while longer, but now that he'd been discovered, he guessed there was no harm in visiting her and her friend. He could always drag his friends along too. Besides, he guessed it was nice seeing Rin again.

Just as he was about to ask something else, Kaito walked in, carrying a huge crate of bottled drinks. He flashed Len a grin, looking like he'd completely forgotten how Len refused to make him something to drink earlier. He said, "Hey, what's up? Who's the chick over there?"

"My sister, thanks," Len sighed, giving him an annoyed look. He motioned from Rin to Kaito and said, "Rin, meet Kaito, the clumsy ice cream idiot."

"I see," Rin muttered, sipping on her slushie as she examined Kaito closely. Suddenly, she leaned forward and whispered, "So he's your boyfriend?"

"HAH?" Len shouted, his hands slamming onto the counter as he looked at Rin with a crazy look. "What the hell makes you think that?"

"Didn't you say that before Dad kicked you out? 'There's this boy I like, who has really nice blue hair.' I swear to God you said that," Rin replied calmly, completely comfortable with her brother's outburst as she slurped her drink loudly.

Len rolled his eyes and collapsed against the counter. Sure he'd said that, but it'd just been a test. Besides, he'd been referencing a girl he'd like in the most basic terms possible. Her hair wasn't very blue in the first place.

Kaito was heading towards them after putting down his cargo, apparently worried about Len's sudden outburst. Len hissed at Rin, "That was a lie. Seriously, even you believed that?"

"Then why'd you tell Mom and Dad you were gay?" Rin asked with an accusing look.

"Because," Len sighed, "they were being to obsessive about the church and stuff. I wanted to see what they valued more. Me, or the freaking church. Obviously that didn't turn out well."

"You were kicked out?" Kaito asked in a shocked voice, looking almost horrified.

Len sighed, facepalming. He'd forgotten Kaito had been listening. He glared at Kaito and said, "So what?"

"I thought Gakupo said you ran away from home, right?" Kaito shouted out to the purple haired guy that had entered the café. His long purple hair was tied up in a ponytail, his chest visible underneath his unbuttoned shirt.

"Yeah, so what about it? Is little Lenny finally going home?" Gakupo asked, giving Len an amused look.

Len growled at the sound of that nickname. He forgot about his anger the next moment when Kaito explained, "But Len's sister here says he was kicked out."

"You were what?" Gakupo shouted, successfully scaring some more customers that were relaxing in the café. Len just buried his head in guilt. He'd lied to Gakupo at first, saying he'd run away, just so that he could keep his pride as a man and that Gakupo might lend him a place to stay.

"Seriously, what for?" Gakupo demanded, looking a little annoyed.

"Len's gay," Rin said bluntly.

"Am not!" Len snarled, growling at his twin. God, she just never knew how to read the atmosphere.

Gakupo was about to question him further when Kiyoteru popped up behind him, grabbing his collar and dragging him off. Pushing the brim of his glasses up his nose, he said, "Stop giving Len such a hard time and get back to work already. We have a job after all."

Kaito sighed, watching the two of them go off, Gakupo yelling at Kiyoteru to let go. He said, "Well, I'll go back to moving those stupid boxes. Are you staying here for a while, Rin-chan?"

"Hey, don't just start calling me Rin-chan, you ice cream idiot," Rin scolded, hitting Kaito on the head like they'd known each other for ages. Len took notice of how she used the nickname that Len had given Kaito.

"Well, will you be around?" Kaito pressed on, his blue eyes shining like the ocean outside.

Rin sighed and twirled her straw in her drink. She muttered, "Well, since Len's working here, I guess I'll be here the whole summer."

"Really?" Kaito replied. Len could've sworn that the big smile on Kaito's face had gotten wider. He winked and said, "Then, see you around, Rin-chan!"

"I told you not to call me that, didn't I?" Rin shouted after Kaito as he vanished into the storage room again. Len sighed, deciding to wipe the clean counter again for the umpteenth time. Rin sighed and rested her cheek on the table, watching Len work.

"What now?" Len asked. He could tell something was up.

"Nothing," Rin mumbled, playing with her cup so that it was tilting dangerously to one side. "I just thought it's a good thing he's not your boyfriend."

Len flicked his wiping cloth at Rin out of annoyance. Startled, she let go of her drink and the cup clattered onto the table, spilling its contents right over Len's hand. Rin looked slightly apologetic before she hurriedly got up and said, "Well, thanks for the drink, Len. See you later!"

She hurriedly left the café. Len growled and cleaned up the mess like the good employee he was, no thanks to Rin. After he was done, he stood there a few moments, staring into space. Len suddenly banged his head hard on the counter. The customers might've been startled again, but Len couldn't think of another way to hide his grins as his shaking hands gripped the edge of the wooden counter.

_Rin and Kaito, they definitely have a thing for each other,_ Len thought, sinking down to squat on the floor and trying hard to keep from laughing.

He would be looking forward to seeing how that would turn out.

* * *

**A/N: ****Wasn't going to post this story until much later, but I got bored and so here it is... ****It was pretty much inspired by these songs that Gakupo, Kaito, Len, and Kiyoteru sing. I think the composer is Pantans. ****Plus, it's going to be a real romance story this time, as in I'm actually going to focus on "love" XD. Or at least I'll try... ****(For anyone who's read Vow Beyond Death, that doesn't count XP)**

**Also, if you didn't notice, in the title, "I" can be thought of as "Ai" which is love in both Japanese and Chinese. Just saying... (and yes, I was bored too when I thought of the title...)**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated! Feel free to criticize or make suggestions. Apology beforehand if it wasn't as funny as I thought it was...**

**P.S. Len really isn't gay. I just need him to get kicked out the house and that was the best reason I could think of. Sorry. XP**


	2. Chapter 2

"I never knew Len had a sister," Kaito muttered to himself, setting down a huge crate of coffee beans. And she'd looked really nice in that bow. Almost like a cute bunny.

Kaito shook his head to clear his mind. No, he couldn't, shouldn't be thinking such things. He had work to focus on. Besides, she was Len's sister, and they'd just met. Kaito didn't believe in the "love at first sight" crap. No, it definitely wasn't love. Rin-chan was just very pretty.

"Admit it, you like her," his subconscious snickered. Kaito hissed back, "No, I'm don't!"

The next thing he knew, he'd tripped over a box of oranges, face planting the ground with a loud thud.

"Ow," Kaito muttered, slowly getting up and rubbing his forehead.

Len came running in, looking alarmed. He asked, "Hey, what happened?"

"Nothing. I just tripped," Kaito muttered, slowly getting back onto his feet.

Len blinked and suddenly burst into laughter. He said, "Seriously? On what? Well, don't do that again. I thought you were being mobbed or something."

Someone was calling for Len to order something. He waved and went back into the café. Kaito pouted. Len could be really mean sometimes. Then again, to think that he'd been kicked out of his own home… Kaito shivered. It didn't seem like a nice thing to go through.

His mind wandered back to Rin. She wouldn't be as blunt and rude as her brother, would she? They were twins after all. Kaito wondered if Len would look like Rin if he took his pony tail down.

He mentally smacked himself. Enough thinking. He really ought to get back to work.

After moving around several more crates and boxes, sorting through fruits, condiments, utensils and other sorts of stuff, Kaito plopped down onto the ground out of exhaustion. Sure, he was pretty strong despite his looks, definitely stronger than weak, little Len, but that didn't mean he had to do all this work himself, right?

(Back at the counter, Len suddenly sneezed, causing his hand to shake and spill the contents of the drink he was holding. Furious, he quickly apologized to the customer and went to make a new one, muttering, "What the heck…")

Kaito checked his watch. It was nearing noon, about time for him and Len's break. The storeowner was really nice to them. They never had to work during lunch or dinnertime. Usually Meiko, a childhood friend of his who'd come to beach with him, took over at the time. She had strange eating habits, so her mealtimes never coincided with Len and Kaito's.

As if on cue, Meiko waltzed in, her short brown hair bobbing up and down as she entered. She was in a red tank top and long shorts like the ones boys usually wore. She called them working shorts.

"Hey, Kaito! What's up?" Meiko asked cheerfully.

"Nothing. Is it time to change shifts?" Kaito asked.

"Yep! Gumi's already working the counter. Len told me to tell you to meet at the ice cream parlor. He left already," Meiko replied, slipping on a pair of gloves and stretching like she was ready for a good hour of moving boxes.

"What?" Kaito exclaimed, getting up from the floor in a flash. "He should've waited!"

"Have fun!" Meiko called out as Kaito signed out and ran out the backdoor.

"Yeah, thanks!" Kaito hastily replied before flying out onto the streets. Len, that little brat. He couldn't have at least let Kaito know they were leaving?

The ice cream parlor was two blocks down from the café. They were all on one street that followed the shoreline so that people from the beach could easily access the shops and restaurants. Kaito took in a huge whiff of the salty air. He really loved the beach. If only he could enjoy it rather than work.

Len had been the one badgering Kaito and the others about work. Len was just barely in high school when he "ran away from home." Kaito knew the truth now, however shocking it might be, but still, it was a little early to get a job. Kaito himself was going to start his last year of senior year next year. Gakupo had dropped out of college in his first month, claiming it a bore, and found work with some strange construction people. Kiyoteru, well, that genius already had his own job. He didn't need this summer job. None of them besides Len really did. Of course, Kaito wasn't going to complain much. As long as he had money to buy ice cream, he was fine.

The ice cream parlor was pretty empty considering it was lunchtime. No one was in line from what Kaito could see outside. He was met with a nice cool breeze as he entered the small shop. Kiyoteru waved a hello while a pissed off Gakupo leaned against the back wall, his arms across his chest. He'd put on a real shirt by now, probably after Kiyoteru's insistence, along with a purple apron over that.

"Nice to see you dressed," Kaito said in greeting, moving to the ice cream counter. Gakupo shot him a glare, but Kaito ignored him. He couldn't believe how many flavors there were in front of him. To think such a small ice cream shop could be so fully stocked was mind-blowing.

"Hey, you better pay if you want ice cream," Gakupo muttered, rolling his eyes.

"I will," Kaito replied after he finally looked up to see the price. He had ten dollars in his pocket. Enough to get five two-scooped ice cream cones. He couldn't believe how cheap the food was here. Maybe he'd rethink his displeasure at working at the beach.

"You think I can get four scoops for a cheaper price?" Kaito asked, casting Kiyoteru a questioning glance.

Kiyoteru shrugged and said, "I mean, I guess. I could just lower the price a little bit for four scoops, but not by much."

"That's fine. I'll have vanilla, coffee, mint chip, and cookie dough," Kaito said, straightening up to fish his money out of his pocket. Kiyoteru got his order professionally and handed him seven dollars in change.

"Ooh, then can I get four scoops of orange sorbet?"

Kaito turned around and almost dropped his epic serving of ice cream. Rin was there with another girl that had wavy pink hair and a headband. Rin grinned and said, "Hi again."

"Oh, hi, Rin-chan!" Kaito said, getting over his initial shock. Rin pouted, obviously annoyed that Kaito was still calling her Rin-chan, but he didn't mind. She looked pretty cute when she pouted.

"I told you not to call me that, ice cream idiot" she sighed as Kiyoteru got her order.

"Hey, that's not fair," Kaito argued. "If you gave me a nickname, I should be allowed to call you Rin-chan. Or do you like Rinny better?"

Rin rolled her eyes in exasperation. She paid for her ice cream and bit into it. Through a mouthful of ice cream, she grumpily said, "Just call me Rin. Then I'll start calling you by your name. Kaito, was it?"

"Yep," Kaito nodded with a grin. Rin's cheeks were slightly pudgy from the amount of sorbet in them, but Kaito liked the look. She was like a chipmunk hoarding nuts in her mouth. "You look really cute like that, Rin-chan."

"Hey, if you're going to pick on Rin, do it nicely," the pink haired girl behind Rin said, her arms on her hips.

"It's fine, Luka. He's a friend of Len's," Rin replied, though she was giving Kaito an half annoyed half amused glance. Sorta like a privileged princess.

"By the way, where is Len?" Kiyoteru asked, pushing his glasses up with the back of his hands.

"None of you guys were with him?" Rin asked, looking almost horrified.

"Of course not. He's what, fifteen? He can walk through the streets himself," Gakupo replied from behind the counter, tugging at the collar of his shirt like it was choking him.

"Not to mention he left the café without waiting for me," Kaito muttered, popping the bottom of the ice cream cone into his mouth. He really wanted another one.

Rin stared at the three of them with an accusing look. She said, "You're his friends and you didn't even know that Len has no sense of direction whatsoever?"

The three friends stared at Rin like she was crazy. Before she could ask what was wrong, Gakupo replied, "There is only one ice cream parlor in town, and this place is only two blocks down directly from the café where Len works at. No matter how bad you claim his memory is, there is no way Len wouldn't be able to find this place."

The parlor was silent for a while. The few customers quickly finished their food and left. Rin looked like she was in deep thought as she finished her ice cream, but Kaito had to agree with Gakupo. Len's sense of direction couldn't be so bad that he couldn't walk two blocks straight down a street and find the small, magenta building.

"Are you perhaps talking about a blonde boy with a ponytail?"

They all spun around in surprise to look at the speaker. He was a tall, slender boy with light pink hair, his green eyes calmly watching the group. He had a wool hat on his head despite the heat outside while dressed in a loosely buttoned collared shirt and short khakis.

"Yeah, did you see him?" Rin asked, her eyes slightly narrowed.

The boy just stared back at her before waving Kiyoteru over and asking for a scoop of chocolate ice cream in a cup.

"Hey, don't ignore us!" Gakupo exclaimed, grabbing onto Kiyoteru's wrist so he wouldn't be able to scoop the ice cream.

"I was in this shop five minutes ago. Can I have my ice cream?" he asked in a monotone. Kaito couldn't tell if he was annoyed or too serious or maybe just lacking in emotion.

Kiyoteru had freed himself from Gakupo's grip and diligently handed the customer his order. The pink haired teen thanked Kiyoteru and said, "I saw the blonde boy poke his head in here once. At the time, both of you were in the back I think. He left the place and continued walking down the street."

Kaito stared at the pink haired boy like he was crazy. Everyone else had pretty much the same expression. Finally, Rin asked, "Why would Len do that?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. He's your friend. Maybe he thought there was another ice cream parlor in town? Thanks for the food."

He threw Kiyoteru a dollar coin and headed out the door. The others just stared after him until he vanished from view.

"Great. Just great. Now we have to find little Lenny again," Gakupo growled as he threw off his apron.

"Again?" Rin asked, her eyebrows raised. "Did my brother get lost some other time?"

"No," all three boys snapped immediately, their jaws clenched tight. Kaito silently prayed Rin wouldn't ask any further. If she did, boy were they screwed.

"Hey, no need to be so agitated," Luka, the pink haired girl said, her arms crossed and her lips tightly shut. She looked rather bored, seeing how she wasn't buying ice cream.

"No need to be so uptight, Miss Lulu," Gakupo retorted, casting her a side glance.

"What did you call me?" Luka snapped, her eyes lighting up in anger.

Gakupo flashed a devilish grin and said, "That's more like it. Loosen up a bit. Now, come on, guys, time to find Len."

"But shouldn't we wait till our shift's over?" Kiyoteru asked tentatively, wiping his glasses like he usually did when he was indecisive.

"What's more important? This job or finding Len?" Gakupo demanded. Before Kiyoteru could answer, Gakupo had already grabbed him and started dragging him out of the store.

"Hey! At least hang up the 'Closed' sign!" Kiyoteru argued before the door shut behind them and their arguing was muted.

Luka and Rin stared after them as they turned right, away from the direction of the café. Luka asked, "Are those two always like that?"

Kaito nodded reluctantly and replied, "Yep. Everyday, but they make a good match."

"How?" Luka asked incredulously, still staring in the direction that they'd disappeared to.

Kaito just shrugged it off and asked, "So, wanna come along and find Len?"

Rin exchanged a glance with her friend. Luka shook her head and said, "I dragged Rin here, since it's my first time at work here. My shift's next so I can take over for those two idiots."

"I wouldn't call Kiyoteru an idiot," Kaito said in a serious tone.

"Why not?" Luka asked, her eyebrows raised.

"He's a genius, duh," Kaito replied, as if it was obvious. Why else would he be teaching in high school at age nineteen? Rin and Luka didn't seem to get it. Kaito shrugged and continued, "But feel free to call Gakupo whatever you want."

"Well then, I'll take over for the genius and…the hot-headed weirdo," Luka said, nodding as if she liked that nickname. She waved and headed back behind the counter, grabbing the apron Gakupo just had on.

"Come on then," Rin said, pushing Kaito out the door. "Ready to find that stupid brother of mine?"

For some reason, Kaito's heart was pounding like crazy. Maybe it was from the sudden wave of heat that hit him as Rin got him outside. Maybe it was something else. Kaito took in a deep breath and returned Rin's cheeky smile. He couldn't resist the urge to tug at her cheeks as he replied, "Of course I'm ready, Rin-chan."

Rin brushed Kaito off, pouting as she stuck her tongue out at him. "I told you to stop calling me that, you ice cream idiot," she reprimanded while pretending to sock him. Kaito held up his hands as sign of defeat, unable to keep from smiling. Making fun of Rin was somehow very enjoyable.

Rin sighed, but a smile was on her face. She said, "Whatever. Come on, let's go!"

With that, Rin grabbed Kaito's arm and skipped along the sidewalk, dragging Kaito behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Wheeeee... Time to find Len...**

**I'm pretty sure it's obvious who I'm shipping Kaito with in this story. Hopefully.  
But I'm still deciding on Kiyoteru... There's a poll on my profile about who you want to ship Kiyoteru with. Hopefully I'll have my decision made soon...**

**Thanks for reading! And I appreciate reviews and/or criticism!**


	3. Chapter 3

Far on the other side of town, Len wiped off the sweat accumulating on his forehead. He looked around him. Somehow, the beach was still in view, and yet he felt like he'd searched the entire town for the ice cream parlor. Sure, he'd found one, but Gakupo and Kiyoteru had been nowhere in sight. It couldn't have been the one they worked at. At least he didn't think so.

With a sigh of defeat, he plopped down onto the bench stationed right outside of a small store. He stared up gloomily into the sky. Why did it have to be so hot? At least he was back in shorts and a T-shirt, but the weather wasn't helping. He felt like he was going to faint.

"Excuse me, are you feeling okay?"

Len leaned his head back against the bench even more to see a girl standing there, a worried look on her face. He suddenly realized hanging his head upside down off the bench must not have been the most polite thing to do and quickly got up off the seat. He mumbled, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a bit hot, don't you think?"

"Yeah," the girl agreed, brushing a strand of teal hair out of her face. "Do you need some water?"

Staring into her bright blue eyes, Len couldn't help but nod. Suddenly, his throat felt dry, as if he had just realized how thirsty he was. The girl motioned for Len to follow her into the small shop.

It was a neat and tidy shop. A small counter stood in one corner, a cashier on top. The walls were lined with shelves filled with goods, another column of items dividing the store in two. The girl went into the back near a big curtain and brought Len a bottle of water. He reached into his pocket for some money and realized he'd left his wallet in his locker back in the café. Sheepishly, he stared at his feet and said, "I'm sorry, I don't have money to pay for it."

"Don't worry about it. It's on the house," the girl said, holding out the bottle of water, her face expressionless. Len nervously took the bottle and took a drink. Water had never tasted so good.

"So what were you doing out here?" the girl asked. "Not many people come out here."

"Oh, I was…looking for something," Len replied. He studied the girl. Teal pigtails tied right above her shoulders, a nice white summer dress fit with white sandals. Her skin was milky white, like she'd never been under the sun. He was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Rin.

"Um, are you Rin's friend Luka?" Len asked tentatively.

The girl tilted her head slightly to the left, her eyebrows raised. For some reason, Len felt like he sensed a disappointed expression on her face. She said, "I think you have the wrong person then. My name is Miku. Hatsune Miku."

"Oh," Len mumbled, staring back at his feet. He wasn't good with talking to girls. He felt flustered. To think he could be so stupid and ask such a dumb question. After a moment of awkward silence, Len suddenly remembered that the girl had introduced herself. He hastily said, "Uh, my name's Kagamine Len. Thanks for the water."

"No problem," Miku replied. "Do you need help finding the place you were looking for?"

"No, it's fine," Len muttered. "You've already helped me enough."

"But it wouldn't be good, would it? If you got lost again," Miku replied, a smile on her face. Len had never seen her smile before since he'd met her. She really had a beautiful smile. She really did.

Before Len could reply, someone called out from the back of the store, "Hey, Miku! Who ya talking to?"

"A customer. You can go back to sleep, Lily," Miku replied.

"Why should I?" the woman grumbled, appearing from the curtain in the back. Her long blonde hair trailed over her shoulders as she rubbed an eye sleepily, the other one glancing around the store, blue and drowsy. She was in a loose tank top and a miniskirt as she padded over to Miku barefoot.

"Lily, you're going to scare our customer away," Miku said in a joking tone, her eyes twinkling as she looked over at Len. For some reason, it made him feel very flustered.

Lily gave Miku a glare before shifting her eyes on Len. She growled, "Do I scare you?"

"No, not really," Len replied, glancing away. He was uncomfortable under Lily's stare, though most of it was still from the unexpected look he'd gotten from Miku.

"Hmph," Lily snorted. She turned around and headed back behind the curtain, calling out, "Fine then. I'll change and help you out in the store."

Once she'd disappeared, Miku gave Len an apologetic look. She said, "Sorry about that. Lily's a bit grumpy when she's half-asleep."

"I heard that!" Lily called out from behind the curtain, the sound of a door shutting quickly following.

Len and Miku just stood there in the shop in silence for a few moments, staring at the curtain where Lily had gone. Without warning, the two of them suddenly burst into laughter. Len didn't even know what was funny about what had just happened, but it just made him want to laugh.

Miku wiped a tear from her eye and said, "Yeah, she's grumpy. Sorry if she surprised you."

"No, not at all," Len replied, trying to get himself back under control and failing. He asked, "Does she work here too?"

"Yeah, but part time," Miku answered. "She's trying to be a singer, you see. She doesn't get a lot of sleep, so I like to give her an afternoon shift. You can usually find her in the park at night."

"Does she perform there?" Len asked, his eyes widening a little in surprise. He would never have thought that Lily, the woman he'd just met, could be a singer.

Miku nodded with a smile. She said, "Yeah, she's pretty good too. She usually just goes there and sings to the crowd. Are you staying in this town for long?"

Len nodded. He was working here the whole summer after all. Miku just smiled and said, "Then it'd be cool if you could go see her some day. She'd appreciate it, though she might not thank you directly."

Len fell silent, a thought suddenly striking him. He replied, "I'd be happy to go, but won't that be a bit strange?"

"How is it strange?"

"Well, I mean, we just met today, right? Isn't it strange to, you know, talk so casually with a stranger about personal stuff?" Len muttered, staring down at his feet. He didn't dare to look up, afraid that Miku might be fixing him with a strange look.

Miku just cheerfully punched Len on the shoulder. It didn't hurt, but he looked up in surprise. She said, "What are you worrying about? It's not like I asked you to go out with her or anything, did I? Not that you're Lily's type, no offense."

Len blinked a few times, staring at Miku in confusion. It didn't take long before a red tint appeared in her cheeks as she averted her eyes and said, "Uh, sorry if that was awkward. It's just, I feel really comfortable talking to you, so it just sorta came out."

Len scratched his head nervously, averting his eyes from Miku as well. A girl had never said that she'd been comfortable talking to him before. Then again, he'd never been comfortable talking to girls either. They were always making fun of him when he was back in school. They kept calling him cute and short, and a lot of them would just randomly grab onto him or pounce him. Rin once said it was because he was popular in school. Len didn't like it. He would've been much happier to be left alone to hang out with his own friends.

"So, um, would you still like to go see Lily sing?" Miku asked hesitantly, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yeah, yeah, it sounds like fun," Len hastily replied, his heart beating like crazy due to his nervousness.

"Great! Lily's performing there tomorrow night, so you better be there!" Miku exclaimed with a brilliant grin on her face.

Len broke out of his daze at seeing Miku smile again. He stammered, "Wait, why does it sound like I have to go there now?"

"Water," Miku said, pointing at the half filled water bottle still in Len's hand. "You haven't paid me yet for the water."

"You said it was on the house!" Len complained, though he wasn't very annoyed.

"Well, now you can pay for it by being Lily's audience," Miku replied, her grin widening.

Len let out a sigh of defeat, though he was smiling inside. He said, "Fine, fine, I'll go. And I'll bring my friends too. Happy?"

He waved and started to head out the store. Miku's voice stopped him.

"Hey, you sure you don't need directions to wherever you're going?"

Len froze, blinked, then turned back sheepishly as he said, "Uh, yeah. Sorry for all the trouble."

"No problem," Miku replied, walking over to the counter and grabbing a piece of paper. "So where are you going?"

"Oceanside Ice Cream," Len replied, leaning over to watch Miku draw a small map of the town. She completed it in mere seconds, though the structure of the town really was simple. Len listened carefully as Miku explained how he should get there, her voice floating in his brain like a long forgotten tune. She even wrote down careful instructions for him to follow in case he forgot anything she'd just said. It was almost like Miku knew of his terrible sense of direction and horrible memory, like they hadn't met just today.

Len recalled how he'd mistaken Miku for Luka, whoever Luka was. He did remember seeing Rin talking to a teal haired girl, though that girl had had much longer hair. Much longer. And Rin had had a very serious expression on her face at the time, though Len hadn't been able to get close enough to eavesdrop.

"Um, we haven't met somewhere before, have we?" Len asked, cutting Miku off midway through a sentence.

Miku studied Len before replying, "No, I don't think so. What made you think that?"

"Nothing. Just thinking," Len mumbled, his face turning red. "Sorry, that was a stupid question wasn't it?"

"No, it's fine," Miku replied, turning back to explaining the directions. However, even Len couldn't help noticing the mellow atmosphere that was now hanging over them.

"So…I turn a left here," Len muttered to himself, glancing up and down the street before turning back to his directions. He was starting to recognize the place at least. He remembered passing these places during his search for the ice cream parlor.

Up ahead, Len saw a small magenta building at the corner of the intersection. People were coming and going from the building, holding ice cream cones with happy smiles on their faces. Len froze in his tracks, staring at the building. He knew that one. He'd even stuck his head in there once to see if Gakupo and Kiyoteru were there. They should've been working the counter if that was the ice cream parlor. Neither of them had been there, so that couldn't have been the place, right?

Tentatively, he entered the shop. A young pink haired lady was working the place, diligently handing people their orders. Len was confused why her eyes seemed to light up when she saw him.

"Len! So there you are!" the girl exclaimed, waving.

Len blinked before walking over and asking, "Um, sorry, but who are you?"

"Oh, I suppose I should've guessed you wouldn't remember me. I'm Megurine Luka, Rin's friend."

"Oh," Len muttered. What a coincidence. He was bumping into new people all over the place.

"You didn't happen to see anyone, did you?" Luka asked.

"What do you mean?" Len asked back, raising his eyebrows.

"Rin and your friends went looking for you awhile ago, since you didn't show up," Luka replied, her face expressionless.

It took a while for that thought to sink in. Slowly, Len asked, "So this is Oceanside Ice Cream?"

When Luka nodded, Len stared at her blankly, an unamused smile on his mouth. Before Luka could ask what was wrong, Len suddenly slammed his fist into the wall and yelled, "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?"

* * *

Back at the store, Miku was leaned over on the counter, her fingers drumming the countertop dreamily, her mind still wrapped up in the events of that afternoon.

"Hey, Miku, what should I do?" Lily asked, bursting her blissful bubble.

"Oh, uh, anything. We don't have customers now," Miku replied absentmindedly.

"Yeah, I can see that. You want me to go buy lunch?" Lily asked, staring at Miku with a half amused look.

"Sure, sure, do whatever you want," Miku casually replied, her mind still up in the clouds.

"Hey, Manager Missy, you're sorta out of it today. Something happen? You get enough sleep?" Lily asked, waving her hand up and down before Miku's face. If she was trying to annoy Miku, she was succeeding.

"You should be the one to talk," Miku sighed. "How much sleep did you get last night? Four hours? Haven't you heard that sleep is good for your skin?"

"Only for you," Lily joked, poking Miku's cheeks. "Besides, I don't get dreamy during the day. Come on, tell me. You've got your looks on that blonde boy that came here back then, don't you?"

Somehow, Miku managed not to blush. She mumbled, "No, I don't."

"Oh, so you do!" Lily laughed, her eyes dancing with delight. "Little Miku's gonna get a boyfriend!"

"No, I'm not!" Miku shouted after Lily as she skipped outside to buy some lunch. With a sigh, Miku collapsed back onto the counter. She didn't understand how a "no" in Lily's mind meant a "yes."

"Kagamine Len, huh," Miku muttered under her breath, staring up at the ceiling as she watched the fan spin round and round.

It was fate, she guessed, that they had met today. Maybe Lily was right, that she did like Len, if only a little, but other emotions outweighed those feeble, lingering feelings.

Miku sighed and sat down on a stool before plopping on the counter, burying her head into her arms. Her voice just a whisper in the wind, she mumbled, "So he really doesn't remember…"

* * *

**A/N: I thought up some more tragic pasts… Typical me.**

**Anyone have any happy animes/movies to recommend? I need to learn to be happy and optimistic XP**

**The irony of writing a summer story in the middle of winter…. **

**Well, happy holidays everyone! And review please! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Just where the hell did little Lenny go?" Gakupo complained, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"How would I know?" Kiyoteru muttered, sighing. He was so tired that he didn't even have the energy to reprimand Gakupo for dressing so inappropriately. Gakupo's shirt was unbuttoned again while his long purple hair was wild and messy, even in the ponytail. At least Kiyoteru had managed to somehow endure the heat. He was still stuck in his formal, white buttoned shirt with its sleeves rolled up, fit with a pair of khakis.

"Well I didn't accompany him to this town to look for him every time he gets lost," Gakupo snapped, crossing his arms as they waited for a crossing light to turn green. "I swear, if he gets lost one more time, I'm going to wring his skinny neck."

Kiyoteru let out another annoyed sigh and said, "It's not like we've been searching for long. He might've found his way back."

"Yeah, as if," Gakupo snorted, rolling his eyes.

Kiyoteru shook his head at Gakupo's attitude. He was so pessimistic and sarcastic most of the times. It was no wonder that women weren't attracted to him, not that Kiyoteru had any luck with girls either.

He fumbled through his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, wiping his glasses again. He did that a lot, especially when he was nervous.

"There's nothing to be nervous about," Kiyoteru muttered to himself as they crossed the road. Len would be fine. Perfectly fine. Last time had been an unfortunate accident. That was all.

Kiyoteru took in a deep breath to calm his nerves as he replaced his glasses.

"Oi, Kiyo, look out!" Gakupo suddenly said from behind him.

Too late, Kiyoteru bumped right into someone right in front of him. He stumbled backwards and fell onto the sidewalk, his glasses falling off in the process.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" a girl's voice asked. Kiyoteru could only make out her long blonde hair. He fumbled around for his fallen glasses. He really couldn't see much without them.

"Here," the girl said, a hand holding out his glasses to Kiyoteru. He mumbled thanks and quickly set them back on the bridge of his nose. He made the mistake of looking up.

His face was just two inches from someone's chest, her round bust right at the tip of his nose. Kiyoteru froze, his face getting redder by the minute as he stared in front of him.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, straightening up.

"Yeah, yeah," Kiyoteru stammered, snapping back to his senses and hurriedly getting back onto his feet. "I'm sorry about that."

"No, I should be apologizing," the blonde girl said. She wore a loose shirt over a tank top and a black mini-skirt, fit with a pair of blue flip-flops. Her eyes were like the ocean, glimmering under the sunlight, a beautiful shade of turquoise. She blinked, and Kiyoteru's gaze broke off. He was embarrassed that he had been staring at a girl like that, but he had to secretly admit. She looked like she could be a model or a rockstar.

"Kiyo, come on," Gakupo said, tugging at Kiyoteru's sleeve. "We have to find Len."

"Oh, are you looking for someone?" the girl asked, shifting the plastic bag in her hand to the other.

"Yeah. You didn't happen to see a little midget with a blonde ponytail, did you?" Gakupo asked, his tone harsh.

"I don't know about him being a midget, but a kid like that did show up in our shop a while back. I think little Miku-chan sent him back," the girl replied.

"Oh, really? Thanks," Kiyoteru cut in, grabbing Gakupo and holding him firm before Gakupo could storm off to strangle Len.

"No problem," the girl replied. "Again, I'm really sorry for knocking you over."

"Please, don't worry about it," Kiyoteru stressed, his habit of reassuring people popping up again. "If I hadn't bumped into you, we'd probably still be looking for Len."

"So Len's his name, huh," the girl muttered.

"Is there something wrong?" Kiyoteru asked.

"No, it's nothing!" she replied cheerfully. She thought for a minute before fumbling through her grocery bag. She held out a key chain to Kiyoteru. It was the shape of a tiny ice cream cone, a cute little face on the top scoop. He took it, confused, as she explained, "I got it from the place where I buy lunch. It was some free reward or something. You can take it as compensation for me knocking you over. Give it to your girlfriend or something."

"Uh, thanks," Kiyoteru replied absentmindedly. A girl had never given him something before. This probably had to be another first on his list.

"Well, maybe we'll see each other again in this small town," the girl waved and she walked off into the distance, a bounce in her step as she skipped along.

"Are you finally done with your chitchat?" Gakupo demanded, pushing off the railing he'd been leaning against.

"Patience is a virtue, you know," Kiyoteru said, though his eyes were still staring at the key chain in his hand.

Gakupo slapped him on the back, causing Kiyoteru to almost drop his gift. Before he could demand an explanation, Gakupo sighed, "There you go again, being a teacher. It's summer, Kiyoteru. Can't you enjoy your last days as a teenager?"

"Nineteen years old isn't too different from being twenty," Kiyoteru retorted, pulling out his cell phone and weaving the chain onto it.

"You're actually keeping that," Gakupo said rather scornfully as they started their way back to the ice cream parlor.

"Why not? She gave it to me. It's not like I have a girlfriend, so why can't I use it?" Kiyoteru asked, his eyes focused straight ahead as if to avoid from bumping into anyone else.

Gakupo sighed. "That's not the point," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's the fact that you can so shamelessly accept something from a stranger that I don't get."

Kiyoteru didn't respond. He hadn't actually wanted to accept the key chain out of moral reasons and stuff, but the girl had already left before he could give it back. He thought it was better that he used it rather than let it go to waste.

They reached the ice cream parlor. Gakupo immediately burst through the doors, bellowing, "LEN!"

Len jumped in his seat, as did a dozen of other customers. Those buying ice cream just hurriedly said their order to Luka, who was apparently another worker there at the creamery from as far as Kiyoteru could tell.

"You idiot, just where did you go?" Gakupo demanded, sitting down forcefully in the chair across from Len.

"Hey, that was my seat!" Kaito complained, walking over with another ice cream cone.

Len stared at his feet for a while before he muttered, "I'm sorry for causing all this trouble."

"Oh, you better be," Gakupo said, looking miffed.

"Hey, at least he's safe," Kiyoteru said, pulling up a chair and sitting down with a sigh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rin demanded, making Kiyoteru jump. Shoot, he'd completely forgotten about Rin's presence.

"What else is it supposed to mean? Kiyoteru's a nice and caring person, that's all," Gakupo lied smoothly. Rin bought it and the tension passed through the four boys.

"So how'd you get back?" Kiyoteru asked, leaning against the cold windowpane, his cheek pressed right up against it.

"A…nice girl gave me directions," Len muttered. Kiyoteru wondered if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a faint glow of red on Len's cheeks.

If the others noticed it, they didn't say anything. They all knew better than to make fun of Len when he was talking about sensitive stuff. The consequences were never fun.

"I see," Kiyoteru decided to reply, pulling his phone out to check the time. The ice cream charm struck the table, and a clear ringing noise echoed in his ears.

"Ooh, that looks cute! Can I have it?" Kaito eagerly asked, already in the process of finishing his cone.

Kiyoteru snatched his phone out of Kaito's reach and harshly said, "No. Get one yourself!"

"But I'm broke," Kaito complained, his shoulders sagging. He probably just wanted it because it was in the shape of an ice cream cone.

"Then stop eating so much ice cream," Kiyoteru snapped, stuffing his phone deep into his pocket. You never knew what Kaito would do to get what he wanted.

Kaito sighed and said, "Why can't you? You're always giving me stuff. What's so special about this one to you?"

Gakupo just leaned over and whispered into Kaito's ear, "This girl gave it to him. You know how much Kiyo likes to listen to people, right?"

Kaito nodded. Kiyoteru watched with a raised eyebrow as Gakupo continued, "Well she told him to give it to his girlfriend, so he's probably saving it for that, unless you want that thing so much you'd go out with him."

Kaito stuck his tongue out and said, "On second thought, I don't want it anymore."

"Why not?" Len asked, sitting back in his chair and watching as his sister chatted with Luka.

"Even if I were a girl, I wouldn't want to date Kiyo," Kaito stated bluntly, earning him a well deserved bonk on the head.

"The same applies to you, you idiot," Kiyoteru scolded, crossing his arms. "I don't know how any girl would want to go out with you."

The playful look on Kaito's face melted. After a moment of silence, he leaned forward and buried his head in his arms. He muttered, "You really think so?"

"Is something wrong?" Rin asked, walking over with a confused expression on her face as she glanced at Kaito.

Gakupo looked like he was trying to refrain from laughing. He waved Rin off and said, "Don't worry about it, it's nothing."

Kiyoteru didn't quite get Kaito's reaction. Kaito's face was still burrowed deep into his arms, not bothering to answer Rin. It was like he'd fallen asleep, or else he was ignoring Rin.

"Are you sure?" Rin asked, looking slightly worried now.

"It's fine. He's just sulking," Kiyoteru replied.

"Yeah, thanks to who?" Kaito muttered, his voice muffled in his arms.

Kiyoteru just stared at Kaito with a bewildered expression before shrugging it off.

"Oh, well, me and Kaito passed by the café he was working at with you," Rin said, turning Len. "Isn't your break over soon?"

Len lazily glanced at the clock. He sighed and said, "Not yet. It's too early."

Rin followed his gaze and asked with her eyebrows raised, "It's almost one."

"So?"

Rin just sighed and shook her head. Her hands on her hips, she said, "Oh, whatever, it's your job. Just don't get in more trouble, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Len muttered reluctantly. Just as Rin waved to Luka and started to head out the door, Len suddenly shot up and shouted, "Uh, wait!"

"What now?" Rin asked, her tone sounding annoyed.

"In case we don't see each other from between now and tomorrow, meet us at the café at five in the evening? I…I heard there's something fun going on at the park," Len hastily said, looking uncomfortable as the other customers in the parlor stared at him.

"Yeah, got it, but I'm definitely not letting you out of my sight for that long!" Rin shouted back as if she was declaring war on her brother. Kiyoteru silently laughed at the two of them. It was like Rin was worried Len would attempt to run away again if she didn't keep an eye on him.

"It's not like I'm can go anywhere anyways!" Len defiantly shouted just as the door slammed shut behind Rin.

"Well, you did run away for a pretty long time," Kiyoteru reminded.

"Ah, you weren't there when we found out, right, Kiyoteru?" Gakupo suddenly said, staring right at Kiyoteru.

"Find out what?"

Gakupo shot another glare at Len before replying, "You know how Len said he ran away? This brat's been lying to us the whole time."

"It wasn't on purpose," Len argued before contradicting himself. "Well, I guess it was, but it doesn't matter, right?"

"What are you guys talking about?" Kiyoteru demanded.

"Len lied to his parents about being gay, so he got kicked out," Kaito suddenly snapped before getting onto his two feet. "Come on, Len, we better go back."

With that, he quickly left the ice cream parlor. Kiyoteru stared after him and asked, "So what's up with Kaito?"

"He's upset, duh," Gakupo replied.

"I can see that, but about what?" Kiyoteru asked back, not understanding. "Is he seriously mad that I didn't give him the key chain?"

Gakupo let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. He ignored Kiyoteru and went back behind the counter. He looked like he was ready to slack around when Luka started forcing him to work.

"Kiyo, you really don't get these things, do you?" Len said with a laugh.

"What?"

"Haven't you seen my sister and Kaito together?" Len asked in a low whisper, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. Kiyoteru didn't see that look much. Len only looked like that when he was anticipating lots of fun.

"Well, yeah, they seem to get along well," Kiyoteru replied, thinking back to how cheerful Kaito had looked with Len's sister.

"And how many girls does Kaito like talking to?" Len asked again as if the answer should be obvious.

Kiyoteru thought for a while. "Well, his friend Meiko, and Rin I guess… so two?"

Len stared at Kiyoteru before sighing like the others. "No wonder Kaito's mad," Len muttered under his breath.

Kiyoteru decided to ignore Len and rest his chin on his fist, his other hand mindlessly fingering the key chain that the blonde girl had given him. She'd really been a strange person.

Len waved a hand in front of Kiyoteru's face. "I'm still here you know, though I guess I better leave soon."

"Then do you want to tell me what Kaito's mad about?" Kiyoteru asked. He really hated being left in the dark. You'd think that since he was the so-called genius, he'd understand these simple things.

"Fine, fine," Len said, bending over so he could whisper into Kiyoteru's ear. "You remember when you said no one would want to go out with Kaito?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, now he probably thinks Rin doesn't like him as much as he does her," Len whispered with a sly grin.

It took five seconds for that to register in Kiyoteru's brain. With a dry smile, he said, "Ah, is that so? Then I apologize."

"I'll pass it on," Len said, trying to contain his laugher as he went out the door.

Kiyoteru sat at his table for another long moment before leaning back in his chair to stare at the fan. He thought, "So Kaito's really fallen in love with someone…"

* * *

**A/N: Big apology for this late update! But I hope this chapter was enjoyable!**

**My other two stories are almost finished, so I'll be able to put more effort in this soon, and maybe plan it out better than my first two fanfics… **

**Thanks for reading and supporting this story! Feel free to review and/or leave a pointer since this is "technically" my first attempt at romance. Real romance. (I'm repeating myself, aren't I?)**

**Thanks again for reading!**


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